Across the African continent, millions of youths struggle to secure decent employment. Many remain jobless for years after completing school, while others, overwhelmed by despair, turn to alcohol, drugs, or sink into depression as they watch their dreams fade.
The most desperate risk their lives on perilous journeys across the Sahara Desert or Mediterranean Sea, chasing opportunities abroad that remain out of reach.
These tragic stories reflect a deeper systemic crisis at the continental level. Each month, more than one million young Africans enter the job market, yet meaningful opportunities remain scarce. At the heart of this crisis lies a mismatch between what training institutions impart to the trainees and the skills employers need.
Shockingly, only two percent of African youth are enrolled in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes, the very programmes designed to provide practical, job-ready skills.
It is against this backdrop that the Africa Skills for Jobs Policy Academy will be convened in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 30 to October 3, 2025.
The event, organised by the World Bank Group in partnership with the Inter-University Council for East Africa and the Government of Kenya, will bring together more than 250 leaders. Their task is urgent: to chart a new course for skills development and employment in the continent.
Africa’s skills development ecosystem faces systemic weaknesses, including underfunding and fragmentation. TVET institutions remain chronically underfunded and poorly coordinated, with outdated curricula that often fail to reflect current industry realities.
Additionally, there are weak labour industry linkages, resulting in career guidance and job placement services that are either absent or ineffective. Perhaps most striking is the disconnect between training focus and job reality.
While close to 86 percent of jobs are in the informal sector, most training prepares young people almost exclusively for the shrinking formal jobs. This mismatch leaves graduates holding certificates that employers do not value, while industries lament shortages of skilled workers.
Addressing this crisis requires bold, coordinated reforms and concerted actions in the following areas: Serious investment—governments must provide predictable financing for TVET, complemented by support from the private sector and development partners; Employer engagement—businesses should co-design curricula in growth sectors such as agribusiness and renewable energy.
Africa stands at a crossroad. The Africa Skills for Jobs Policy Academy offers a pivotal moment to align education with the realities of the labour market, to invest in young people, and to create flexible pathways to training opportunities and subsequently decent jobs in health, manufacturing, and tourism — and expand apprenticeships, internships, and work placements; and Youth Support Systems – Young people need career guidance, reliable labor market information, and access to digital job platforms.
Skills gained outside school must also be formally recognized through robust prior learning assessments.
The case for regional and continental cooperation
No single country can solve these challenges alone. Regional cooperation is therefore essential. Initiatives such as the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP) show what is possible. Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania have already harmonized TVET standards, paving the way for labor mobility and mutual recognition of qualifications.
EASTRIP also illustrates how private sector engagement can move from symbolic to substantive contribution to address the challenges related to skills mismatch between demand and supply, that is, between training institutions and productive sectors or industry.
The Sixteen Regional TVET Institutes (RFTIs) under the project have established Industry Advisory Boards and signed Memoranda of Understanding with companies, among others to strengthen curriculum development and industrial attachment.
Scaling up such efforts across the continent can unlock Africa’s greatest resource — its youth. With deliberate leadership and decisive reforms, the so-called “youth time bomb” can be transformed into a demographic dividend that can significantly contribute to fueling growth, innovation, and resilience.
A call to action
Africa stands at a crossroad. The Africa Skills for Jobs Policy Academy offers a pivotal moment to align education with the realities of the labour market, to invest in young people, and to create flexible pathways to training opportunities and subsequently decent jobs. This is not simply a policy discussion — it is a moral and economic imperative.
If leaders act boldly, Africa’s youth will not be a burden to manage but the engine that powers the continent’s socio-economic transformation.
Dr Cosam Joseph Chawanga is the Regional Project Coordinator for EASTRIP
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